The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-06-03

Especial Correspondence
RICHMOND, Va, May %.
Horses have had much to do with history.
The statues Of celebrated American heroes
in very many instances show them mounted
upon horses of metal A wit once remarked
that even the heroes of the quarter deck
owed their fame to their having .clung to
the main." 1t will add much to the value of
the statue of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston,
unveiled in New Orleans few days ago, that
it shows him seated on a horse fashioned
after the one he rode that fatal day at Shiloh.
The science of photography has shown how
erroneous are the positions commonly given
to the horse by artists. II you doubt this.
hunt up Senator Stanfords book on the sub.
ject; i'll that you will find numerous iustra
tions from photos taken by the Instantaneous
process.
Mr. Frederick Webster, the taxidermist,
has spent many months of labor Oh the work
of mounting "Old Sorrel, i" as Jacksons favor
ite steed was called during his last years.
Although the horse is reproduced as true to
life as it is possible to make him, yet only the
hide and the hoofs are there
Just one year ago Mr. Webster was sum-
noned to Richmond, Va, to perform the last
sad rites, which in his art are the first, on the
horse "Old Sorrel" breathed his last sur
rounded by the veterans of the home, who
had found peculiar pleasure in kindly caring
for him in his last days. 1t was not un,lat-
ural that those who had SO tenderly nuxsed
him for the memories that clustered about
him should have turned aside to brush away
the tears when the little horse died.
His epitaph is simple, but between the lines
speaks volumes
OLD SORREL
OF obscure birth.
He achieved fame 4
The faithful servant
OF a noble master
He died March II, 1885,
Age, So years.
The tough little horse would endure any
amount of hard riding without signs of fag-
ging; if, however, his rider disrnounted, he
would refresh himself by promptly lying
down without waiting to have the trappings
removed. Although the saddle suffered from
the contact with the earth his owner would
not allow him to be disturbed. The horse
very fond of apples, and the general
always remembered him when that deli
cacy could be had. Little Sorreln soon
became a thoroughly trained steed Ii his
rider was deep in the mysteries of some plans
he would suit his gait to the humor; he often
heard the soft accents of muttered PRAYER
and bore himself with a show of solemnity
until some dashing courier on spirited horse
or the "song of shell" aroused him to bear
himself like the war horse that he was The
horse loved the roar of battle and the rush of
a charge, and chafed under Il close rein
and dogged retreat jackson did not
know music, and once showed his dullness for
it by asking O young lady if she had ever
heard a song called "Dixie," and when she
had finished singing it he seemed much pleased,
but did not recognize the air played every
day by the bands in the army. But there was
one kind of music which he always recog-
nized-it was the "yell" with which his troops
always greeted him when he appeared before
them. He always acknowledged the compli-
nent by taking off his gray cap, and Little
Sorrel," catching the inspiration of the mo
ment would break into gallop and continue
it until the SnIlnl had ceased The inmates
of the "S0l!inls' uoiiie" say that up to the
last he retained his fondneSS for the sound of
a gun; that when the boys would fire rapiti5g
in the negh!Iorhood. killing robbins the
horse would trot off i'll the direction and look
over the fence with great interest; turning
with the change of direction he would tltt
off in search of the sound. It is rather re-
markable that the horse was never wounded,
although he bore Jackson through his cam
paigns of Rouney. Nj cDowei, Port Republic,
Winchester, Gross Keys. Coti Hnrbor. Second
Manassas, Fredericksburg, and the fatal field
of Charlottesville. During tho Maryland
campaign he rode hands me gray, pre-
sented to him by an adniring Maryln
and came near losing his life by the horse
falling on him. He had also very hainl-
some solrel presented to him by the people of
Augusta, Ga
It was at Charlottesville, after vigorous
ctroko xvhop Jurt h1r
ment had cut Hooker's line in two, capturing
many prisoners and guns, that ''Little Sor,'eI"
was to lose his most devoted friend. 1t ap-
pears that Jackson rode out with three or
four members of his staff to reconnoiter;
when they returned it was dark The troops
that saw him pass out down the road had been
relieved by others, who were instructed to
fire upon the approach of anything indicating
the enemy; these were startled by the APP
proach of horses hoofs in a rapid cantsr and
delivered one or two volleys. Fhe result of
this assault was the unhorsing of Jackson
with wound in the right hand, Al4o! her in
the upper part of the right arm and third in
the left arm. These wounds were not n.ces-
sarily fatal, but soon after he took to his bed
pneumonia developed, with fatal result
"Little Sorrel" was stampeded when the con-
fusion that followed the terrible accident was
at its height; it was feared that the little
horse had escaped into the anemy's lines The
next day some of Stuart's men found him
and returned him to headquarters After the
death of jackson the favorite of the camp
was sent to Mrs. jackson at her home near
Charlotte, N. c. A few years ago, in response
to an urgent request she sent him to the Vir-
gina Military institute, where her husband
was professor at the beginning of the war.
The horse was sent to the New Orleans expo
stion to be exhibited for the benefit of the
Confederate Home" and for the jackson
monument fund, His life was shortened by
the trip and by a cold contracted while south
After his return he was consigned to the care
Of the inmates of the "Home," near Rich
mond; some of them having kept step with
him in the trying times when their beloved
leader was ON his back. The horse was an
object of much interest to visitors to the
Soldiers Home" and great pet with the
veterans. A poetic lady of Richmond has
animal under the title Of the aDying War
Horse"
Old SorTel has passed though the "mani-
Kin method" OF taxidermy, and a fair presen-
alton of the original has been secured. His
keleton Is also to be artieulated. wa
As the horse had been allowed 10 go unshod
rom the time he was carried from the battle
ield his, hoofs had grown to an enormous
ength; these were trimmed to the proper
ize. The position given the horse is an easy
me, on an inclined plane fnished to repre-
ent stone. With proper care the horse
viii last for many years. Certain 1T Is that
hose who look upon the completed work,
vith little play OF the imagination. can see
he celebrated war horse, true to life, save Ia
nimation PERCY CLARK
A Great Deal OF Nonsense.
The unadulterated truth is that great
cal OF nonsense is written concerning the
are of our bodies which has not one particle
I practical value. Hot water agrees with
,me, cold water with others, and tepid ex-
city suits particular cases Times and sea-
ms must be determined by circumstances.
o many delicate people the daily bath would
. positively injurious. a ssa
When the wiseacres can write upon some
theory which cOmmends itself
busy people, every man and woman will
lopt it conditionally; but constitutions,